Dayan, Uri (Environmental and Risk Assessment Section, Soreq Nuclear Research Center, Yavne, Israel)
Abramski, Richard (Meteo-Tech, Meteorological Ltd, Tel Aviv, Israel)
Serious consideration must be given to methods of improving the forecasting of rainfall events in the Middle East, especially under circumstancies in which very heavy showers and major flooding may be involved. One of the methods for improving the forecasting of heavy rains and floods is the understanding of the unusual jet stream properties. A major flooding event, caused by extensive precipitation in the large catchement area of Wadi-El-Arish occurred in February 1975 in the Sinai Peninsula and was related to unusual characteristics of the jet stream. Contrary to the usual conditions, the jet stream had anticyclonic curvature and sloped nortward with increasing altitude.